

Reference source: The Age
WHILE most Australian children continue to throw their Christmas presents around this weekend, breaking many along the way, one expert has a word of advice for their parents: forget about showering them with gifts, do not over-schedule their time and get down on their level to engage with them as much as you can.The rewards of such interaction can be immense. Professor Oberklaid says that while a child's genetic make-up is the hardware of their brain, their environment is the software.Professor Frank Oberklaid said
'Parents need to understand that what children crave is not fancy toys or to watch television or DVDs. What they crave is their parents' love and attention.
It doesn't have to cost money. Sit them on your knee and read a book together, walk down to the park and treat it like a nature study lesson. It's about spending quality time.
Professor Oberklaid says some parents also have trouble adapting to their child's age, particularly during adolescence.Professor Frank Oberklaid said
'In the early years of a child's life, their environment literally sculpts their brain.
Any environment where children and families are stressed, for example, where there is child abuse, sexual abuse, mental health problems in parents, family violence, those sorts of things, cortisol [a hormone that helps control stress] levels go up in children's brains and persistent cortisol levels interfere with brain development.
Such disruption can lead to developmental delays, language problems, learning difficulties or conditions such as attention hyperactivity disorder.
If you look at some of the conditions we see in adults, such as mental health problems, family violence, crime participation, poor literacy, heart disease and obesity, they often start on pathways from those early years
Reference source: Raising Children website
The Centre for Community Child Health (CCCH) works with, and for, families and supports and empowers communities to continually improve the health and wellbeing of children.Professor Frank Oberklaid, a paediatrician and an internationally renowned researcher, author, lecturer and consultant, leads a team of over 90 staff from a range of disciplines including paediatrics, psychology, education, early childhood, public health and communications. Frank chairs the steering committee for the Raising Children Network website and sits on the scientific advisory board.
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
||
Edited Today